1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tray assembly comprising a plurality of linked trays adapted for holding and transporting semiconductor devices such as integrated circuit chips, memory chips, other electronics devices (for example, connectors, switches, transmitters or the like), or comparatively small parts incorporated in precision parts (hereinafter inclusively referred to as `IC chips`), wherein the IC chips take their individual and discrete places within the tray assembly.
2. Description of Prior Art
The important or principal electronic circuits are delivered nowadays in the form of the so-called `chip` in order to improve their operation reliability as well as the efficiency of assembly plants. Preliminary and/or final assembly lines are supplied with the IC chips which are arrayed in a considerably large transporting container, which has a plurality of chip-holding recesses forming longitudinal and transverse rows. Generally, a robot hand or the like equipped beside one side of a transporting route supplies the IC chips one by one from the large container to the assembly line. Therefore, the robot hand must reciprocate a long distance in order to pick up the IC chip positioned near the other side of the transporting route. Consequently, an average waiting time for the assembly line to receive the individual IC chips becomes long to thereby lower the production efficiency. Further, the robot hand must change its position every time when it picks up the IC chips. In the event that the robot hand fails to grip any IC chip at its correct portion, the IC chip would be broken and the assembly line would be disturbed seriously. In order to avoid such an incident, the position control of robot hand should be so accurate as undesirably raising the control system cost.